Status: IFC is
private and off limits, Launch is reused by machine shop

This was the 3rd stop on
my Pittsburgh Area Nike Site Self Tour. This one did not go as planned. First
I only had it on the map with basic cordinates, so I wasn't sure exactly where
it was located. The marker on the map that I printed made me think that I
should go down a back road that essentially led me on about a 40 minute wild
goose chase. This was poor planning on my part. I then found my way back to
the main road that I had been on, and proceeded to drive past the base twice
before realizing where it was located... finally, I find the control site.

As
you can see in the main pitcture above, there were signs... Dog signs.
Of course I considered that maybe they were just empty warnings. I
got out... stood around for a while... listened for dogs, considered
my options, and eventually left. It looked relatively abandoned to
me, but I wasn't about to cross no-trespassing and beware of dog signs.
Instead I'd look for the launch site. Strangely, as I'd eventually
find out, the control sites are better protected than the launch sites.
If you completely lost, its because you're coming in to the middle
of a story. Check the Elrama or Herminie
sites for a better explantion.

Assmbly
area. See the dips to the right of this picture. These kept the fuels
seperate in the case of a spill during prep.

In this instance, the two
sites are very close to one another. The Launch site was directly accross
the street. I headed that way. It became quickly clear that this site was
still in use. I had read that a machine shop used the launch site and that
ended up being the case. In my own obnoxious way, I decided just to ride through
and hope no one minded. I was wrong. I rounded the assembly building pictured
above and was stopped by a bearded man in a golf cart. He was friendly, but
curious as to what I was doing. I told him that I was curious and he advised
me to ask the owner if it was ok to look around a little. We went back to
the former barraks which was not used as offices, and I meant a nice gentleman
by the name of Chip. I explained my intentions and eventually Chip agreed
to show me around... but not without cautioning that he isn't able to give
people tours... so don't show up there looking for one. He's a busy guy and
was kind enough to take me around. He also showed me some models that a former
base assignee had built of the site and they were amazing... very cool.

Guard
shack.

Chip
couldn't have been more kind. He drove me out to the battery and took
me below ground. He took his valuable time to explain the elevator system,
what he had to do to rehab the site, and how the program originally
worked. It could not have been better. I really can't thank him enough.
He had spent time fixing and maintaining the lift. We discussed the
auto leveling system, which he once had to repair, as well as the pumps
he used vs the much faster pumps the military used and removed from
the hydraulics. Chip showed me the filters, the small control space
at the bottom of the hatch behind blast doors... pretty much everything
you could want to see. Out of respect for his privacy and property,
I didn't take pictures. Stick with me... You will see in one of these.

Chip filled me in on a lot of details...
the basics of how the system worked, that people from the launch side weren't
allowed on the control side, and vice versa, how the missiles were assmebled,
fueled, what the basic buidings were (generator house, bunker, barraks, assembly,
etc). Basically anything I could think to ask. Again, he doesn't give tours,
so please don't go asking for the tour the guy on the internet got. Over all,
Chip made my day. I finally got to see inside a missle battery. I didn't get
many photos, but I'd make up for that at the Irwin
site. One additional detail that Chip helped me out with... the beware
of dogs sign across the street is legit. His advice... stay the heck away
from the control site. Someone owns it, they have dogs, and they may or may
not live there. Keep Out!

We talked a little about if anything had
ever left the site in terms of missiles, and if I understood correctly, one
was fired, as a test, shortly after the site was built. I'd love to have seen
that. These suckers go about 1600 mph, almost as fast as the beat up Honda
I drove there!!

Additional Pictures at the
Link below... there aren't many.

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